Rosary with container for concealing pendant member



Nov. 6, 1956 R. A. ILLES 2,769,249

ROSARY WITH CONTAINER FOR CONCEALING PENDANT MEMBER Filed Oct. 15, 1953 IN VEN TOR. Ram/7a 4mm I Z Z65 ATTURNEYS United States Patent ROSARY WITH CONTAINER FOR CONCEALING PENDANT lVIEMBER Rosina Anna Illes, Bridgeport, Conn. Application October 15, 1953, Serial No. 386,319

3 Claims. (Cl. 35-23 This invention relates to improvements in necklaces and more particularly to a necklace which may be converted into a rosary should the same be desired.

An object of the invention is to provide a necklace of highly ornamental appearance and which can be easily and quickly changed into the usual rosary.

This is accomplished by providing the neck-encircling portion of the necklace with a plurality of suitable beads arranged to form the decade portion of the rosary and by connecting thereto a hollow container adapted to enclose the pendant portion of the rosary, i. e., that portion of the rosary including beads and the crucifix.

In accordance with the present invention the container may be an ornament, such as a medal, locket or the like or may be formed as a part of an ornamental clasp for the necklace should no ornament be desired.

A feature of the invention resides in the ease with which the necklace can be changed into a rosary without in any way structurally changing the necklace.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the specification and claims when considered in connection with the drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows the necklace with the container forming the ornament therein.

Fig. 2 shows the necklace in which the container forms the clasp therefor.

Fig. 3 is a detail view showing the container opened and the pendant portion positioned in the container.

Fig. 4 is a detail view showing the pendant portion removed from the container to form the rosary.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the clasp of Fig. 2 with the container opened showing the pendant portion positioned therein.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 1, the necklace comprises a chain having a plurality of beads 11 spaced therealong to form the decade portion of the rosary which is adapted to encircle the neck of the wearer. The chain may be of any suitable design and the beads may be made of any suitable material. The ends of the neck-encircling portion are connected to an ornament 12. If desired, the necklace may be provided with a suitable releasable fastener whereby it may be readily applied around and removed from the neck of the wearer. While the fastener may be provided at any suitable point along the length of the necklace, it is herein illustrated as a spring catch 13 at one end of the neck-encircling portion adapted to engage a ring 14 on the ornament.

In accordance with the present preferred form of the invention, the ornament is formed as a hollow container 15 having a cover 16 hinged thereto at 17 and provided with a snap fastener 18 adapted to hold the cover closed and is adapted to have enclosed therein a portion of chain 19 normally forming the pendant portion of the rosary and including beads 20 and a crucifix 21 as shown in Fig. 3.

The pendant portion is connected to the ornament in any suitable way to enable it to be swung out of the container to the pendant position, as shown in Fig. 4,

See

when it is desired to use the necklace as a rosary. In the herein illustrated form of the invention a link 19a of the chain pivots on a pin 22 carried within the caslng adjacent a slot 23 in the wall thereof, as shown in Fig. 3, so that as the chain moves from its enclosed position, as shown in Fig. 3, the link will pass through the slot to the extended position of Fig. 4.

The ornament may be of any desired shape such as circular, cruciform, heart, diamond, or, as illustrated, an oval and may be made of metal, plastic or other suitable material. It may be provided with inscriptions or figures 24 to form a suitable religious medal conforming to the purpose of the rosary. Further, if desired, the container can be provided with a frame 25 on the inner side in which a picture 26 or other suitable indicia may be inserted to make the ornament into a locket.

In the form of theinvention shown in Fig. 2, the necklace formed by the chain 10 and beads 11 is not provided with an ornament but instead has the ends of the neck-encircling decade portion connected to an ornamental clasp 27 by having one end connected to a loop 28 on the clasp and the other end secured to fastener member 29 adapted to be snapped into the slot 30 on the clasp.

As shown in Fig. 5, the clasp has a hollow upper portion 31 closed by a closure 32 hinged thereto at 32a and adapted to receive and enclose the pendant portion of the rosary. This may be mounted, as shown in Fig. 5, so that it pivots on pin 33 adjacent the slot 34 so that it may be swung out of the container and into the usual pendant position.

When it is desired to convert the necklace of the present invention into a rosary, it is merely necessary to unfasten the spring catch 13 or the fastener member 29 to remove the neck-encircling portion from around the neck. The fasteners are then connected again to the container to complete the decade loop. The closure member 16 or 32 is then opened and the pendant portion of the rosary swung out of the container and the container is then closed.

An advantage of the present invention resides in the fact that the necklace may be worn at times when the persons do not have, or it is inconvenient to carry, a pocketbook or purse in which the rosary may be carried. By employing the necklace of the present invention, they can have a rosary available for use, whenever desired, by a simple operation which does not entail any modification of the necklace itself.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claims and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

1. A rosary comprising a decade portion having the ends thereof connected at spaced points to one edge of a medal, said medal comprising a hollow member having a movable closure, and a pendant portion having one end fixedly connected to said medal at a point opposite from the connection of the decade portions thereto and adapted to be enclosed in said hollow member, said medal having an opening in the edge adjacent the connection of the pendant portion through which the pendant portion can be swung in moving from within the hollow member to depending relation upon movement of the closure to open position.

2. A rosary comprising a decade portion having the ends thereof connected at spaced points to one edge of a medal, said medal comprising a hollow member and a movable closure, and a pendant portion including beads and having a crucifix at one end, the other end of said pendant portion being pivotally connected to said medal at a point opposite the connection of the decade portion thereto and adapted to be enclosed in said hollow member, said medal having an opening in the edge adjacent 3. A rosary comprising a portion provided with spaced 5 beads forming the decades of a rosary, said portion having the ends thereof connected at spaced points to one edge of a medal, one of said connections including a releasable fastener, said medal comprising a hollow member and a movable closure, and a pendant portion including beads and having a crucifix at one end, the other end of said pendant portion being fixedly connected to the interior of said medal at a point opposite from the connection of the decade portion thereto and adapted to be'enclosed in said hollow member, said medal having an opening in the edge adjacent the pendant portion through which the pendant portion may be swung from within the hollow member to depending relation upon movement of the closure to open position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 D. 159,495 Linden Aug. 1, 1950 1,286,911 Bakula Dec. 10, 1918 1,525,005 Sherman Feb. 3, 1925 1,567,021 Detlefsen et a1 Dec. 22, 1925 

